Escaping Reason
by Belladonna-Veilsin
Summary: Merthur AU Arthur's new roommate, Merlin, is a bit strange. He's obviously gay without being flamboyant, is very clever and secretive, but is managing to gain Arthur's trust with little effort. Add to that strange things happening when he's in their flat, and he's a verifiable mystery. Opposite POV to Escaping Classification. Can be read as is.
1. Chapter 1

**Escaping Reason:** **Merthur AU Arthur's new roommate, Merlin, is a bit strange. He's obviously gay without being flamboyant, is very clever and secretive, but is managing to gain Arthur's trust with little effort. Add to that strange things happening when he's in their flat, and he's a verifiable mystery.**

 **Sorry to everyone waiting on the first story (Escaping Classification to any newcomers) to be finished (I am working), but I put together a playlist to help generate ideas for that fic, and one of them had me start seeing things how Arthur has been seeing them.**

 **So, writing the same fic from a different perspective. My fave fics like that are a pair of Supernatural fics and a pair of adorable ColdFlash fics. Had the idea: taking it for a spin. Also, gonna try to call it a 'flat' instead of 'apartment'. Realized halfway through Escaping Classification and didn't want to re-upload each chapter with that edit. Other little changes like that.**

 **Some things haven't been changed because they were perspective neutral. (And some seemed to pull away from my close 3** **rd** **on Merlin, because they were already what Arthur was experiencing without Merlin there. Which means I'm a bad, bad writer for not spotting that in the first place.)**

(-)

Arthur carried the box up the stairs to his new flat. It wasn't too heavy for him, but it was awkward. It was a test of his dexterity to keep the box in his hands and not let the duffel bag strap fall off his shoulder.

His head was still spinning with possibilities. He had been talking to Morgana while he finished packing about some worst-case scenarios as far as flatmates went. Any partiers or heavy drinkers would be a nightmare, or drug users. Loud music would be difficult to cope with if he wanted to study.

"Best-case scenarios?" Morgana had asked and forced Arthur to consider how things could go well.

Someone lacking all the undesirable qualities previously listed. Someone who could respect boundaries. Someone quiet who would be okay studying. Someone funny. Someone who could understand Arthur, that he could talk to. Someone…special.

When Morgana suggested he just try speed dating, he tossed a dirty sock at her. He wasn't looking to fall in love. He needed to cohabitate with someone who wouldn't drive him mad. All he could do was cross his fingers and hope.

Arthur reached his door and belatedly realized he had no hand free to get his key out. But he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. His new flatmate must have had the same problem and left it open for Arthur. Thoughtful. Or forgetful. Hopefully the former.

The door on the right when Arthur walked in had noises of movement inside and a poster of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on the open door. Guess the new flatmate was a geek. And he'd already chosen his room. Fair enough, he got there first.

Arthur slid the duffel bag off his shoulder as he noted the kitchenette to his left, bathroom door between that and what would be his room, and the basic living room furnishings. He admitted, as he studied the couch intently, that he was putting off meeting his new flatmate.

So, he manned up and walked into the doorway of his flatmate's room. The guy was bent over a box of clothes, unpacking T-shirts, and Arthur couldn't see much of him. Dark black hair, thin, puny looking, and Arthur was sure he'd be tall when he was standing, given his lanky limbs.

"Blimey, you're a skinny little git, aren't you?" The words were out before he thought about them. Arthur sometimes had issues with his filter.

The guy looked back at Arthur, showing very captivating blue eyes, and a quick flash of annoyance crossed his expression. "And you certainly have a singular way of introducing yourself, don't you?" the guy said. He went back to his clothes, obviously trying to dismiss Arthur.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked, although he knew exactly what his new flatmate meant.

"It means that saying your manners are lacking would qualify me for some understatement award." There was dry humor there. Funny.

Arthur hummed thoughtfully, trying to decide how to make a better impression. "I'm Arthur."

His flatmate turned with a reluctant smile and offered a hand that Arthur had to shift his box to shake. "I'm Merlin."

Arthur noticed Merlin wore two rubber bracelets. One was rainbow, the other purple. He wasn't sure what the purple was for, but he picked out the words "Gets Better" from the side. "Are you gay, Merlin?"

Clearly the wrong thing to say as Merlin narrowed his eyes and reclaimed his hand. "Yes. If _you_ have a problem with _that_ , you'll want to get reassigned, pronto."

Arthur's lips stretched lightly as he saw barriers going up, and Merlin trying to demonize him. He looked genuinely surprised when Arthur said, "Nah. That's your business. Unless you try to make it mine, in which case _we_ will have a problem."

Merlin grinned. "Fair enough. You're not my type anyway."

Arthur had to put the brakes on that, it stung. "Ow. Man or not, that's insulting to my ego."

"Well, you aren't." Merlin shrugged, and that stung further. He returned to his box of clothes, and Arthur wasn't sure what to do with that assertion. Which was ridiculous because nothing needed to be done; it was the desirable outcome. Merlin changed the subject anyway. "Do you want any help getting your things up here?"

"Your twig body would probably snap under the strain." The offer both amused and touched Arthur. "Thanks, Merlin, I'll be fine."

He set the box in his room, looking around the blank space and planning what he would put where. When he paused to consider Merlin, all he could think was, 'So far, so good.'

(-)

Around noon, when Arthur had all his boxes in the flat, if not all unpacked, there was a knock on the door. Odd, he was planning to meet the Knights in a bit, so they likely wouldn't drop by now.

It was a girl, warm caramel skin, black curls pulled into a bun, and brown eyes that shared the smile on her face as she noticed his appreciation of her. Her clothes were odd, he would say, as they belonged at a Renaissance fair. Still, she was lovely.

"Is Merlin here?" the girl asked, returning his look with a very slightly flirty look of her own.

She was here for Merlin? Arthur blinked, then turned to call over his shoulder, "I thought you said you were gay!"

Merlin appeared from the door to his bedroom and rolled his eyes. When Arthur turned back to Merlin's visitor, she did not look amused. At her stony yet still hostile stare, Arthur held up a placating hand and said, "I was joking. I have no problems with Merlin."

"Then I shouldn't have too many problems with you," the girl said, and she gently pushed past Arthur, dismissing him. Well. That had gone south quickly.

"Hey, Gwen. Are you all unpacked?" Merlin asked. He looked discreetly amused as Arthur pouted.

"Not entirely. But I wanted to make sure you were doing okay," Gwen said. Something about the way she said it made Arthur think she was talking about him. He couldn't tell with her back to him. He just leaned with his back on the door, watching and listening to them.

Merlin sighed. "I can stand up for myself, Gwen. I'm not seven years old anymore."

"Still just as cute though," Gwen replied. "And predators go after cute, vulnerable men." Arthur wondered what kinds of problems Merlin had had that made Gwen say things like that.

Merlin quirked an eyebrow. "Go after them in what way?"

"Rape, bullying, who cares?" Gwen shrugged in indifference. "If they hurt you, I'll have to get out my Castration Knife to defend you with _extreme_ prejudice."

Arthur's eyebrows shot up, and he was certain he looked alarmed. The "Castration Knife" was bad enough, but she seemed to have concerns for Merlin that wouldn't even have crossed Arthur's mind. Rape? Maybe it was because Arthur was well built and a man, but that never factored into his decisions. Merlin was a stick-thin gay guy, but did he really attract rapists?

Merlin grinned at Arthur over her shoulder. "You're scaring my flatmate."

"Good. He should be scared, or at the very least, wary," Gwen said, looking over her shoulder at Arthur. Arthur just hoped the nod he gave her looked non-threatening and submissive, because this was obviously a woman he did not want to be on the wrong side of.

"We've settled it, Gwen. We're good," Merlin assured her.

Settled what? That Arthur accepted Merlin's homosexuality and Merlin's somewhat insulting dismissal of him?

"Merlin, you are hopeless." Gwen statement was punctuated with a sigh.

That seemed to confuse Merlin. "Yes, in many ways, but which one brought on this comment?"

"It's not settled," Gwen told him. "Call it Woman's Intuition."

That confused Arthur too. 'Not settled'? Arthur didn't know what she meant by that. But she obviously cared about Merlin, and her desire to protect him was nice. Reminded him a little of Morgana. She was also quite obviously mad.

With that cryptic statement she waved and left, Arthur moving to open the door for her. "That bird is crazy," Arthur said as he closed the door behind her. "I like her."

"You _like_ her? _After_ she indirectly threatens to castrate you?" Merlin looked at him like _he_ was mad.

"Well, yeah." Arthur wasn't all that threatened. Sure, Gwen could try to deliver on her threats, but he was a fighter. Of course, if his _father_ found out he'd been threatened like that, he'd get a protective detail at best, and Gwen would get an unpleasant visit at worst. One of many reasons Arthur was very glad he'd convinced his father to enroll him anonymously and keep his distance.

"And you say _she's_ crazy," Merlin mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Well, _yeah,_ " Arthur said, with more emphasis. Ren-fair clothes-wearing girls touting about castrating blokes were in short supply, and not considered stable. Of course, she had already come to visit Merlin and they were obviously close. It made Arthur wonder something else. "Is she the only person you know on campus?"

Merlin looked sheepish. "Yeah. Gwen and I both did two years at a community college. So I'm technically a junior, but I'm new to campus."

Arthur wasn't entirely sure why he said what he did. The Knights were a private, personal group that had a lot of secrets between them and inviting his flatmate that he'd just met was out of character for him. "Want to come have lunch with some of my mates? Then you'll know some faces, at least."

Merlin looked nervous at that idea. "I get the feeling I wouldn't fit in with your friends."

"Well, no, obviously not. But that doesn't mean you can't hang out with us," Arthur said. Merlin thought he was a frat guy, or a jock, with a bunch of over-aggressive alpha male friends who would jump at the chance to victimize Merlin. He knew his abrupt question about Merlin's sexuality had made a very bad impression, and he was determined to correct it. Maybe that was why he invited Merlin. To see that Arthur wasn't that kind of guy.

"I won't hide that I'm gay, but I try not to go into situations where I'll be targeted because of it," Merlin said. His voice was increasingly defensive and warning, and Arthur found his unnecessary caution amusing.

"Naturally not," Arthur agreed, nodding. Merlin looked more and more undone with Arthur's good-natured-ness about his concerns.

"Arthur, you don't seem to understand that I'm not comfortable with this notion."

"I do." Arthur took great pleasure in contradicting Merlin. "But I don't think it's called for. One of our friends admitted he was bi, a while back. Our group thinned then, losing anyone who wasn't okay with that."

Merlin blinked, surprise evident on his face. It made Arthur grin as he finally got to call Merlin on his pre-conceptions. "Ha! I could see you labeling me 'Barely Non-hostile Jock-Type' when I asked if you were gay. Fitting me into a category and filing me away. Well, _Mer_ lin, I won't fit into your box so easily."

Merlin looked shocked and uncertain what he should say. Better to throw him a line so he didn't drown in awkwardness. "Do you want to come to lunch?" Arthur asked with a chuckle, still grinning.

A small smile lit up Merlin's face before he said, "Sure, that sounds like fun."

(-)

Merlin took Arthur's friends in carefully. Arthur would lay money that Merlin was trying to spot the bi guy. Lancelot wasn't overly obvious, but if Arthur was a stranger trying to guess, he might settle on Lancelot.

"Sorry we're late, guys, but I had to disarm my flatmate," Arthur said. Beside him, he saw Merlin turn red.

Everyone looked Merlin over. Then Gwaine asked, "Was it melee or ranged?"

"Did he ambush you when you brought in your stuff?" Percy asked.

"I'd recommend a spear for killing Arthur," Lancelot said to Merlin.

Merlin smiled and nodded, looking less embarrassed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hey, I think I'd do fine against a spear," Arthur protested. After a moment's thought, he added, "Since I'm so skilled, I think you'd have to rig a trap."

His friends groaned, and Percy said, "You're insufferably arrogant."

Arthur just rolled his eyes and took one of the two unoccupied chairs. This meant Merlin had to sit in between Arthur and Lancelot. "Merlin, that's Lancelot next to you. Percival is across from him, and then that's Gwaine next to him," Arthur said, pointing at each of his friends in turn.

"Why do you introduce me with my full first name?" Percy whined. "Percy isn't great, but it's better than that."

"It makes you sound terribly pretentious, that's why," Arthur said with a grin.

"It's better than when he wanted us to call him Perce, before we explained to him that's what women carry their things around in." Gwaine laughed.

"I hadn't thought about it like that!" Percy snapped defensively. "Anyway, shouldn't we be teasing the new guy? Why did you have to 'disarm' him, Arthur?"

Merlin got red again. "Eh, he's shy," Arthur said. He wasn't going to embarrass Merlin when his whole point was that Arthur wasn't the kind of guy who liked to victimize others.

"I can see," Lancelot said, giving Merlin a friendly smile.

The waitress came and took their orders. She brought Arthur and Merlin their drinks a moment later; the others had already received theirs. "So, who are you, Merlin?" Gwaine asked. He was the self-appointed inquisitor, wanting to know what kind of people took an interest in him and his friends.

Merlin froze, and Arthur wondered if he disliked discussing his sexuality. Seemed unlikely; he wasn't ashamed or hiding it. "Who is anyone? Nobody is completely sure who they are. There is always another dark corner to prod, another weakness to assess. Self-awareness is a never-ending chore," Merlin said, and Arthur thought that was a strange answer to a normal question.

They just stared at him for a moment. Then Lancelot said, "I like this guy." And Arthur could tell he did. The kind of guys Lancelot was attracted to were…special, different. Arthur definitely fell into that category.

"Definitely," Percy agreed.

Gwaine nodded, but he wasn't going to be thrown off track so easily. "Okay, I'll be more specific, lest you wax philosophy again. What are you majoring in?"

"English. I'm minoring in business management," Merlin said.

"Is that why you're so well-spoken?" Lancelot asked. He sounded highly complimentary, and it bothered Arthur.

"No doubt," Arthur said disparagingly.

"Hey, you could take a lesson from him," Percy said teasingly. "A powerful man like yourself could use good verbal skills like his, down the line."

Arthur shot Percy a glare, irritated that Percy would bring that up in front of Merlin, and Percy abruptly fell silent. Merlin's dodgy answer to Gwaine's question seemed to be in the interests of hiding something, and that was fair enough; there were things Arthur wanted to hide as well. And while he acknowledged to himself that mutual respect of privacy was best, he had a nagging curiosity as to what Merlin was hiding. He was strange and mysterious enough to pique Arthur's interest.

Lancelot cut through the growing awkward silence by asking, "Merlin, do you do any sports?"

Merlin barked out a laugh. "Do I look like I do any sports?"

"Running, maybe swimming," Lancelot said, his gaze assessing Merlin's frame. Arthur rolled his eyes at the obvious play.

Merlin asked, "What sort of sports do you fellas play?"

"Swordplay and various other melee weapons, martial arts, a little archery..." Lancelot trailed off, trying to think of something he might have missed.

"Horseback riding," Percy threw in.

"That's not a sport," Gwaine said.

"So you're all fighters?" Merlin guessed.

"Knights," Percy said.

At a quirked eyebrow from Merlin, Arthur sighed and explained. "Because of our particular set of interests, our group has acquired the title of Knights. It stuck, and there are worse things to be dubbed."

That made Merlin smile. "Almost makes it sound as if you're superheros. Why not go out and defend justice, use your talents to fight crime?"

"I plan to," Lancelot said. "I'm going to be a police officer. Maybe I'll even make command, one day."

"Fight crime with swords and bows?" Merlin wondered.

Lancelot laughed. "If only! No, I'm also trained with guns. Unfortunately, I still have a lot to improve on in that area, whereas I'm quite skilled with swordplay."

"Lance has a lot to live up to," Percy explained.

Gwaine cuffed Percy on the back of his head, saving Arthur the trouble. When Percy protested, Gwaine said, "If we _were_ superheros, you'd be the idiot who ripped off our masks on accident."

"What?" Percy whined. "Arthur brought Merlin, so what's the harm?"

His statement earned him another cuff. "Take off your own mask, and let everyone else wear them as they will," Gwaine said, his tone one of stern reprimand.

"Um..." Merlin looked like he didn't know if he should leave or just remain silent.

"I like Merlin, I'll trust him," Lancelot said. "My father's the Chief of Police of Camelot."

"Oh," Merlin said, his face neutral while somehow still looking extraordinarily nervous.

"See? He's fine," Lancelot said, gesturing to Merlin. Percy nodded, but Gwaine didn't look convinced, and Arthur was certain he was hiding something.

"That must be rough then, trying to break into the same world as your father without being seen as riding his coattails," Merlin said, regaining his composure. After a wary glance at Lancelot, he added, "Sorry if that was rude. I just can't imagine the myriad of dilemmas that you have to deal with to distinguish yourself from your father."

Lancelot had been listening intently to Merlin, his face also a careful mask, but then he smiled warmly. "You sound like you know a lot about it."

Something was up. Arthur watched Merlin force himself to remain calm. "Not really, I'm just very good at viewing perspectives." Merlin shrugged.

"Our waitress is bringing the food out," Gwaine said. He looked at Merlin a little less critically, but Arthur couldn't help but keep intense interest focused on him. The same statements that warmed Lancelot to Merlin struck a chord with Arthur. It _did_ sound like the things he and the Knights dealt with, as far as fathers went. But Arthur told himself that digging into his flatmate's personal life without cause was wrong. He certainly wouldn't appreciate Merlin researching him.

As they started eating, Merlin looked thoughtful and nervous as he watched Arthur and his friends. And as Arthur watched Merlin, he decided that, despite his twitchy secretiveness, he was already beginning to like his new flatmate. Already Merlin promised to be someone…special.

(-)

 **Don't be mad I'm starting this! If nothing else, it gives me another reason to keep my head in this game as opposed to my other fanfics or my original fiction (though that second group should actually come first). And, yes, this kept pretty close to Escaping Classification's first chapter, but once we get to the parts where they aren't together, a more distinct alternate storyline will emerge.**

 **Let me know what you think (furious, disappointed, pleased, or other feelings). Reviews let me know what you want, and while it won't be able to affect the set plotline so far, it could helps steer the rest of Escaping Classification, if this makes you think new things.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! See what you think.**

(-)

"So, your friends are all quite nice," Merlin said as they entered their flat.

"Told you so," Arthur said, watching Merlin relax a little. Merlin hadn't said much on the drive home. Arthur had tuned into his favorite radio station, but there was still something unspoken hanging between them. Arthur didn't know what it was.

"Am I to be a tag-along until I get my feet, or will they be my friends too?" Merlin asked. It seemed an abrupt question, especially after the long silence.

Arthur raised his eyebrows at Merlin's passive-aggressive interrogation. "Isn't that up to you?" Arthur asked.

That made Merlin smile again. "Good point. Sorry, I'm just tired."

"It's 2:30," Arthur said. Merlin had been acting extra strange since Lancelot revealed who his father was. But the most disconcerting thing about that realization was that it didn't make Arthur wary. Merlin's behavior could definitely be classified as "suspicious", but Arthur still felt inclined to trust him.

"Eh, moving is tiring. As you put it, I'm a 'scrawny little git' and all the lifting and carrying has me quite fatigued."

"Long day," Arthur agreed with a yawn. "Maybe you should invite your friend...Gwen, was it? You should invite her over."

"For what purpose?" Merlin asked skeptically. As if he couldn't tell Arthur was interested.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Before I can know if I really fancy her, I have to get to know her, don't I?"

"Ye-es," Merlin said, drawing the word out to emphasize the obviousness of that statement. "But what will we do?"

"Oh. I thought we might watch a movie or something."

"Okay. What movie?" Merlin asked.

"Uh, Sword in the Stone?" Arthur offered. It was a stupid idea, but it was the first thought that rolled off his head.

Merlin snorted. "How about something without singing fish?"

"Would she like Twilight?" That was a chick-flic, right?

"That's too gay for _me_ , Arthur. Besides, Gwen is very hostile towards dependent-woman stereotypes," Merlin informed him.

"Then you tell me what she would like," Arthur said with a frown. She was friends with Merlin, and she was odd, so Arthur probably wasn't going to guess what would entertain her.

"She loves V for Vendetta," Merlin said.

Arthur blinked. "I was expecting something a bit more of a chick flic." He hadn't seen the movie, but all the references he had seen had the guy in the mask. He also knew there were explosions and knife-fighting.

Rolling his eyes, Merlin said, "If you haven't noticed, Gwen isn't a weak woman. And she doesn't like oppressive regimes. The movie is well-suited to her tastes."

Arthur tilted his head, curious about that statement. "Is Gwen very political?" Oppressive regimes sounded about right when it came to describing his father's rule over Camelot. Granted, he wasn't trying to control every aspect, but magic was on lock-down, with any hint of it being destroyed. It was another reason Arthur tried to distance himself from his father. He didn't want to _hate_ the way that man did.

Merlin looked thoughtful, like he was planning the wording of his response. It made Arthur think he was right, that Gwen perhaps was against the status quo, and Merlin wanted to protect her. He couldn't know who Arthur was, but one best be careful what they say to anyone that might be interpreted as dissent.

"She's majoring in History. And she loves nothing better than learning about bloody revolution," Merlin said after a few moments, smiling. And, yes, Arthur was certain Merlin was protecting her. Gwen didn't strike him as the kind of girl who was good at censoring her thoughts.

Merlin seemed stuck in his own head now. It made Arthur wonder how Merlin stood in opinions of his father. He and Gwen were two odd peas in a pod, so there was a good chance Merlin also wasn't a fan of Uther. Of course, any fans of Uther weren't friends of his.

"Cripes, I'm terrible with History. That eliminates any of that as a discussion topic. Although perhaps she could help me study sometime," Arthur said thoughtfully. He'd much prefer Merlin talk to him than drift in thought.

"Already plotting to rope her in?" Merlin teased, looking much more present and focused on their conversation. "I thought you weren't sure if you liked her."

"More like I need confirmation. From what I've seen and what you've said, she's exactly the kind of girl I go for," Arthur said. Of course, Arthur's relationships with women had always been a disaster. Even if it was a fantastic girl that anyone would be mad to turn down, Arthur felt a disconnect between them that would eventually spell the end of any relationship. But surely there was _one_ girl who was the perfect fit for Arthur. So he didn't give up.

"Which of her traits line up with your preferences?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Protective, loyal, headstrong, and a capability and maybe even a penchant for violence," Arthur listed, ticking them off on his fingers. They were traits he both admired and possessed, and women who had them turned Arthur on to them better than those that didn't.

Merlin seemed to be having some internal debate, because he looked frustrated. Then he smiled, his eyes sad, and said, "I'll go call Gwen."

(-)

After Merlin got off the phone with Gwen, a fair bit longer conversation than a simple invite would require, he opened the door to his room. "She'll be here in an hour."

"From the length of your conversation, you had to do some serious convincing to get her to come, didn't you?" Arthur already felt miserable. He had made a bad impression on both her and Merlin, but Merlin seemed ready to give him another chance. He supposed that Merlin's opinion meant more than Gwen's, if for no other reason than that they had to live together.

"Not too much. She had to set the phone down for a bit, and I had to wait for her to come back," Merlin said.

"Oh," Arthur said, feeling a bit lighter. Merlin smiled at him, taking even more weight off his shoulders.

"Bad Boy" by Cascada started coming out of Arthur's pocket. He started and frowned, pulling the phone out and answering it. He headed to his own room, glaring at Merlin, who was laughing hysterically.

"Yes?"

"Arthur? How is your flatmate bonding going? You seemed to really like him." It was Lancelot.

"I do like him. He seems about the best flatmate they could have stuck me with."

There was a brief pause. "Is he single? He's highly attractive, especially that wit of his, and if he isn't seeing anyone, I'd like to ask him out sometime."

Arthur bit back jealous anger. He didn't want to date Merlin or Lancelot, so why did that idea rankle him so? "We were actually going to have a movie night. Want to come?"

"Movie night already? You two must have really bonded. I'd love to come. When should I show up?"

Arthur wasn't sure about bonding, but he could hope so. Now that he knew he definitely wanted Merlin for a flatmate, he didn't want Merlin getting annoyed with him and go looking to trade. "Bout an hour or so, I think. See you then?"

"Cheers, mate."

Merlin was still laughing when Arthur came back out of his room, tucking his phone back into his jeans' pocket and sitting on the couch. "Shut up." Arthur scowled. Surely it wasn't that bloody funny.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Arthur? Maybe something you've been denying?" Merlin asked, not completely managing to stifle his laughter.

"Look, I let my friends set their own ringtones," Arthur said. Forget about not wanting to annoy Merlin; he was going to smack the git if he didn't shut up.

"And she wants a purely physical non-platonic relationship with you?" Merlin chortled.

Arthur scowled and glared harder, but he knew a blush was creeping into his face. "He probably thought it would be funny. And apparently he was right."

Merlin started to calm as he heard the pronoun used. "That was a guy's ringtone? I'm guessing he's your bisexual friend."

"Yeah. Mind if he joins us tonight?" Arthur asked. If Merlin said he minded, he could call Lancelot back to tell him, therefore ridding himself of the inexplicable annoyance at the idea of the two of them dating.

Merlin seemed to weigh that question. "No, I don't mind," Merlin said at last.

Arthur gave Merlin a smile he didn't really feel. "Great." He got his phone out again and texted Lancelot.

"Hey, which of them is it?" Merlin asked.

Arthur's smile became a sly grin, pleased to have something to hold out on Merlin. "He's coming over in an hour, you can wait to find out."

When Merlin pouted at that, Arthur laughed. And then Merlin grinned, a devious look on his face as he pulled out his own cell. "What are you doing?" Arthur asked, already wary. However interesting it was to see Merlin be devious, Arthur knew it didn't spell anything good for him right now.

"Texting Gwen," Merlin said, his voice innocent, though his face thoroughly belied that.

"About what?"

"I'm sharing an anecdote from my day," Merlin said.

It took Arthur a second before his eyes widened, and he got off the couch and dove at Merlin. "Don't tell her about that!" Arthur protested as he struggled for the phone. It should have been easy, but though Merlin wasn't nearly as strong as Arthur, his limbs were long, and he had better flexibility. Lanky git.

"Are you ashamed of him?" Merlin asked as they struggled.

"No, but Gwen doesn't need to know that my bisexual friend finds me attractive and likes to tease me," Arthur insisted. He had Merlin against the wall now, and Merlin had his phone in his hand, stretching as high as it could go. Arthur almost had it, but he would drag Merlin to the floor and pin him if he had to.

"Parley!" Merlin blurted, looking suddenly stressed. He was blushing and breathing hard from their struggle.

Arthur paused and took a step back. "What do you want?"

"Tell me who your friend is, the one you're trying to set me up with," Merlin said.

Eyes narrowing at the mention of the blind date, Arthur said, "You want me to betray my friend's confidence." That was obviously why Merlin's interest annoyed him.

"No," Merlin said, "I want you to betray his identity, which he's going to do anyway when he shows up. I only want to know who I'm dealing with."

Arthur considered that. It was true, and he didn't want Gwen hearing about that stupid ringtone and its implications. "Lancelot," he said.

Merlin had a small pleased grin as he said, "Knew it!"

"You promise not to tell Gwen?"

"She wouldn't think less of you, but yes, I promise."

"Thank you. Bloody embarrassing, remind me to clout Lance when he gets here."

"I'll see how the night goes first," Merlin said.

An hour later, Arthur remembered on his own anyway. Lancelot arrived before Gwen did, and Arthur gave him a firm slug in the shoulder. "Ow!" Lancelot protested, "What was that for?"

"The bloody ringtone on my phone," Arthur said. Trust Lance to do something like that and not remember.

It took the git a moment to recall. "Oh, that? Well, you _can_ be my weekend lover," Lancelot said, a teasing grin on his face.

"I'll pass," Arthur said firmly, but without real malice. He knew that Lancelot always had a thing for him, and while the friendly flirting had become fairly comfortable between the two of them, Merlin (and therefore Gwen, he reminded himself) witnessing it was not okay. "Come in, we're waiting for Merlin's girlfriend to show up."

Confusion clouded Lancelot's face as he stepped inside, and Arthur closed the door behind him. "Girlfriend? But with the bracelets and everything, I thought..."

"My mistake. His female close acquaintance," Arthur corrected.

"Ah," Lancelot said, immediate cheer and a hint of embarrassment showing on his face. Served him right.

"Everything?" Merlin asked. "What else told you I was gay?" He kept the inquiry light and his face neutral. He seemed to be using this to feel Lancelot out.

"Um, well, you're very slender and the way you move..." Lancelot started, but trailed off. "Call it gaydar," he said at last.

"Fair enough," Merlin said, giving him a smile. "Just curious. I don't suppose Arthur was one of the things that told you I was gay, was he?"

Arthur was standing right beside them! He could speak for himself, but they were flirtatiously talking about him like he wasn't _right there_!

Stifling his own grin, Lancelot feigned thought. "It might have come up at some point, I can't remember." Then he considered something for real. "Did Arthur tell you about me?"

Lancelot knew he hated being talked about. He _knew_ it. But he was perfectly happy to exclude Arthur from the conversation like Arthur wasn't there.

"Non-specifically. I knew it was one of the three of you at lunch. I had to use some friendly blackmail to get your name, and he relinquished it only after I pointed out that you were coming here, so I'd find out anyway." Merlin shrugged. "He's loyal."

"And while _he's_ tried to be polite, _he_ feels the need to remind you that _he_ is standing right here!" Arthur growled. His anger was boiling over, the shame that he always felt being talked about, and the uncomfortable idea that Lancelot and Merlin liked talking about him in front of or behind his back.

Lancelot saw what was happening, and why. "Arthur, can I talk to you for a minute? In private?" he asked carefully.

Arthur nodded and turned towards his room. Lancelot gave Merlin a "one minute" finger, and followed Arthur, closing the door behind them. Arthur slumped on the edge of his bed, trying to breathe deeply and calm down.

"Arthur, you know you can trust me. I would never betray you, especially not about that." "That" being the biggest issue between the two of them. Which was Lancelot's fault, and he knew it. Arthur still wasn't certain that some of his trust issues didn't come from that incident. He forgave Lancelot but found it impossible to forget.

"You're making me regret trying to set you two up. If you're going to be discussing me and exchanging information now, how much worse will it be if you two get involved?" Arthur asked, his voice distant. He didn't need his new flatmate to know all his secrets. The darkest parts of Arthur would no doubt send Merlin running.

"You know me better than that. And if Merlin started trying to _use me_ for information, you know I'd completely forget him, never speak to him again. And we don't even know if he is interested in me. You need to calm down, Arthur. I won't betray your trust," Lancelot said, and the last statement was quiet and sincere. Lancelot was always sincere. Noble bastard.

There was a long pause between them. "Okay." Arthur exhaled shakily and got up.

A couple of steps later, Arthur was opening his door, and Merlin settled back onto the couch like he'd been trying to listen in from there. "Are we making popcorn?" Merlin asked, obviously wanting to cover the awkwardness.

Lancelot gave him a grateful grin and said, "I think I'm hungrier than popcorn. I vote pizza."

"But then we have to wage war about toppings," Merlin complained, rolling his eyes.

"Ha, I'd overpower you both easily," Arthur scoffed, starting to feel more like himself.

"That sounds like a challenge," Lancelot said, quirking an eyebrow at Merlin.

"Hey, don't look at me, I'm sure he could take me," Merlin said, shrugging. "I vote pepperoni-mushroom."

"Supreme is the only way to go," Arthur argued.

Lancelot was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. Arthur went to open the door, and moved aside to let Gwen in. "What are we fighting about?" Gwen asked, taking in the subtly-veiled tense atmosphere.

"Pizza toppings," Merlin promptly informed her. He was grinning at her, and he pulled himself off of his back and hugged his knees, legs still dangling off the arm of the couch. "Hi, Gwen."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Pepperoni-mushroom, of course."

"Hey!" Arthur protested, "Why are you taking his side?"

Giving Arthur a look that plainly stated that she thought he was an idiot, Gwen said, "I've known him for years. That's the only kind of pizza Merlin eats."

"Really?" Arthur asked, glancing over at Merlin. From hugging his knees, Merlin had retreated to hiding behind them, only his eyes showing. It was rather adorable. From being outspoken and clever to being shy and uncertain, Merlin had a range of facets to his personality. He was quite fascinating.

Gwen sighed. "Don't be silly, Merlin, lots of people are picky eaters."

Merlin reluctantly pulled his face up, a light blush on his cheeks. "Yeah, that's the kind of pizza I eat."

"I've heard of this crazy thing pizza places do now where they don't limit your order to one pizza," Lancelot put in, seeing Merlin's discomfort. "Believe it or not, they'll let you order all kinds of pizzas, _at the same time._ "

Gwen grinned and nodded, "True, there are four of us. Three of which are men."

Arthur looked between himself, Lancelot, and Merlin, feigning very casual surprise. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"I find it hard not to," Gwen replied, and she was eying Lancelot as she spoke.

That was what Arthur got for trying to be funny. Merlin said, "So, a pepperoni-mushroom, a supreme, and at least one more, right?"

"Meat lovers?" Lancelot suggested. Arthur refrained from making a joke. While Lancelot would take it in stride, he was less sure about Merlin's and especially Gwen's amusement at it.

"That sounds good," Arthur nodded. He pulled his cell phone out and walked away from them to order the pizzas.

It took him a minute or two to place the order and give the address for delivery, and in that time, something had happened.

"Merlin!" Gwen scowled at Merlin and quickly searched for something non-lethal to throw at him. There was a box of tissues on an end table. She took them and tossed them at him, trying to hide her blush and embarrassment.

Merlin shielded his face, and the box bounced off his arms. "You did!" he protested.

"What did I miss?" Arthur asked, looking between Merlin and Gwen.

"Merlin trying to provoke me," Gwen said shortly. "Although I thought he had learned by now that that isn't wise."

"I thought you had learned that I'm often unwise," Merlin retorted. "Shall I tell them about your 'My Little Pony' collection?"

"Should I mention the security blanket you slept with until you were twelve?" Gwen shot back, eyes narrowed.

What the hell had Arthur just walked in on?

"Touché," Merlin said. "Truce?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Fine. When it comes to who has more dirt on who, I come out on top, and an easy victory like that is boring."

Now that they had settled matters, they noticed the ill-stifled laughter coming from Arthur and Lancelot. "Can I ask what kind of blanket?" Arthur wondered, trying to hold back the full force of his amusement. He wasn't sure how sensitive an issue this was for Merlin, but it was really hard not to laugh.

"We called truce, ask him," Gwen said, washing her hands of the matter.

Both Lancelot and Arthur looked at Merlin expectantly. He sighed. "It was a large print of Snow White and her Prince Charming."

"A pale short-black-haired girl dancing with a handsome guy. That's telling," Arthur said. He was thoughtful now, with only faint traces of amusement remaining on his face. Gwen had said 'until he was twelve', but that wasn't when you started needing a security blanket. Merlin had gotten that early and hung onto it as long as he could.

Merlin blushed at Arthur's observation. Arthur considered that Merlin was probably an odd duck his whole life. And, obviously, even as a child he showed homosexual inclinations. Merlin would have been bullied a lot, Arthur decided. Tormented enough, perhaps, to have nightmares and be unable to sleep. That would be when someone had the solution of a security blanket.

"I think it's kinda cute," Lancelot said, a small smile on his face, not entirely of amusement.

"It's adorable. Merlin is looking for his prince," Arthur teased. But, however teasing he sounded, he also believed that a young Merlin curling under a Disney princess blanket to feel safe was positively adorable.

Merlin blushed deeper and scowled furiously at Arthur. He looked like he was contemplating doing something unpleasant to Arthur, which made Arthur wonder what kind of things Merlin might decide to do. Gwen must have seen where Merlin's thoughts were, because she said, "Shame that Camelot is out of princes, then." She poked Arthur's chest. "All they have left, apparently, is prats."

"I don't know, Lancelot is fairly princely, and he's here in Camelot," Arthur said, pretending to study his friend. "Yes, actually, he's very noble, isn't he? Quite chivalrous, too."

"That's why I obviously wasn't referring to Lancelot," Gwen said lightly.

Arthur's mouth twisted in a frown. That's what he got for using humor off the top of his head. He was sabotaging himself, and Gwen pointedly turned her back on Arthur to talk to Lancelot.

This was maddening. His best friend was there, and the only person he felt was on his side was Merlin. Well, sort of on his side. At least not actively sabotaging Arthur's attempts at happiness.

Arthur considered Merlin, legs dangling off the arm of the couch, arms wrapped around his knees as he watched the three of them. Merlin was cheeky, shy, secretive, witty, kind, and adorable. And despite being very strange, Arthur found it hard _not_ to trust him. If Arthur had to live with a stranger, he doubted he'd find anyone more suitable than Merlin.

Merlin caught his gaze and gave him a small smile, looked at Gwen and Lancelot, back to Arthur, and rolled his eyes. It made Arthur feel better, warm inside. Yes, Merlin was the one.

(-)

 **Second chapter done. Next chapter is their movie night. I hope this has pleased you. I love reviews if you have something to say. Oh, I think someone said they wanted to read this one more than Escaping Classification. That's cool, and that works, but Arthur is kept in the dark about a lot of things, so you'll know more about what's** _ **actually**_ **happening if you read Escaping Classification. Gay mages have all the fun.**

 **Or, if you are referring to the quality of writing, I will point out that I started Escaping Classification in 2011 before I went to university to get my bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. So, yes, later chapters of Escaping Classification are much better written than the beginning, and Escaping Reason has the same benefits of experience and education, writing-wise.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hopefully this is entertaining you. I'll keep going.**

(-)

"Well this is rather disappointing," Arthur muttered to Merlin. He was on one end of the couch as they sat in the dark watching V for Vendetta. Merlin was on his left, Lancelot was next to Merlin, and on the opposite end Gwen sat. She and Lancelot were seated very close together as they talked to each other about the movie.

"I guess this doesn't happen to you much?" Merlin asked casually. They spoke in lower voices towards each other, so Gwen and Lancelot wouldn't overhear. Of course, in order to overhear anything, they'd have to be paying some kind of attention to Merlin or Arthur, so they were fairly safe in any case.

"No, of course not." Arthur pouted. Even if no one knew who he was, he never had problems getting the attention of women.

"Happens to me all the time," Merlin said evenly. "The guy I think I want to date chases after a girl instead. Story of my life."

"Oh, yeah," Arthur said. Now he felt like a jerk. "Sorry, didn't mean to discount that."

"It's okay. I'm desensitized, at least a bit, by now." Merlin shrugged.

"I wouldn't think you'd have trouble finding a guy in a big city like Camelot," Arthur said. Even though he'd only known his flatmate one day, he could tell that Merlin was a great guy. If Merlin walked into a gay bar, he'd turn heads with his physical aspects as well.

Merlin raised one eyebrow in question. "Why do you think it would be easy?"

Arthur was a bit too embarrassed to share his reasoning with Merlin. "Well, you are fairly cute, as Gwen pointed out. And there have to be a fairly large number of gay men..." Nope, not going further into it than that.

"The problem there is that I'm stupid," Merlin cut in, to Arthur's great relief. "I don't go out looking through people who actually _will_ date me. It just kinda happens sometimes with people I know."

Arthur briefly considered that Merlin knew Arthur now. But Arthur shook that thought quickly; Merlin's cutting declarations of disinterest still smarted. Besides, one look at Merlin showed that he looked more disheartened than Arthur felt.

Arthur nudged Merlin. "Cheer up. I'm sure one day your prince will come." Arthur winked at him, hoping to get a smile from Merlin.

Merlin blinked at him. "You've seen Snow White enough to remember that?"

"Remember what?" Arthur asked. What did Merlin's blanket have to do with this?

Merlin sighed loudly. "Nevermind."

"Did you say something, Merlin?" Gwen asked, apparently noticing his sudden appearance on the couch.

"I'm _trying_ to storm the Bastille over here, do you mind?" Merlin asked her in a playfully annoyed manner.

"Okay, Merlin," Gwen said, turning back to the movie. "Vive la revolucion."

"What was that about?" Arthur asked. That had to be the strangest brief exchange between anyone that he'd ever seen.

"She wasn't really paying attention," Merlin said with a shrug. "I could have told her I was bombing Pearl Harbor, and she would have made some history-related reply on reflex."

So, they could just toss random history at each other and the other would catch the reference and reply with a similar one? How much did they study for that shit to be casual?

"You two are very attuned to each other," Arthur noted. "The rest of us think you're both crazy, but that apparently doesn't bother you."

"And no one calls you crazy for practicing swordplay in an age where guns and explosives are the weapons of choice?" Merlin asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"Touché." Arthur nodded. "But you and she still stick out more than either I or Lancelot do. Is it hard to stick out like that?"

"Well, I got teased and picked on a lot when I was younger. Now people mostly stare. And compared to some of the more extreme bullying you run into for being a gay teen in highschool, stares are almost fun." Merlin shrugged.

Merlin was wearing skinny jeans and a t-shirt that said, "I like my men like I can appreciate all different flavors of coffee" with pictures of cups of coffee labelled with flavors. Given the way it clung to him and the neckline, Arthur thought the shirt was probably intended for a woman. It was a quirky, very Merlin way to say that he didn't care about people's skin color. Given Merlin's lack of commentary on Gwen's medieval clothes, Arthur was willing to bet that it was her standard wardrobe. He was sure they both turned plenty of heads, for various reasons.

"I'm sure you get stared at a lot too." Merlin shrugged. "Your stares are just subtitled 'Yum' while mine are subtitled 'Fag'."

"'Yum'? How am I 'Yum', Merlin?" Arthur asked, smiling at this development.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "You know you're a gorgeous guy. And I never should have said it because now you're grinning, you cocky bastard."

Arthur laughed, feeling vindicated. "'Not your type'? I knew you were lying!" He stuck his tongue out at Merlin. "I am equally attractive to all orientations." It was satisfying to know that Merlin found him attractive.

"Um, not to lesbians," Merlin pointed out. "And you just got _way_ too excited about that."

Arthur paused. "I kinda did, didn't I?" It had been gratifying to hear Merlin call him "gorgeous", but it was only because of his initial dismissal of Arthur. Right? He shrugged. "I suppose my ego is not to be denied, ever."

"Arthur?" Merlin gave him a frank look. When Arthur hummed to acknowledge that he was listening, Merlin told him, "You're really bloody strange."

"Am not!" Arthur denied. Strange?! He was perfectly normal! Accepting people who weren't normal didn't make him strange himself!

"You make no goddamn sense," Merlin insisted.

"Do so!" Arthur protested. Why was Merlin acting like this?

"Shall I get a second and third opinion?" Merlin asked, turning to Lancelot and Gwen.

" _No!_ " Arthur hissed, and he put a hand over Merlin's mouth and pulled him away from the pair. Of course, that pulled Merlin very much into Arthur. In fact, as they stilled in their awkward moment, Arthur's breathing and heart sped up as Merlin's weight settled against him. It felt nice. Arthur didn't get a lot of physical affection, and while he wouldn't exactly say he was "touch-starved", he couldn't deny that Merlin warmed him in a way he wasn't used to.

They both glanced over at Lancelot and Gwen to make sure they weren't looking, and they weren't. They were kissing. Arthur's arms tightened around Merlin as a jealous hurt surged through him. It wasn't like he was ugly. At least Merlin found him attractive. He didn't mind Arthur holding him. Realizing he had probably held on a few moments too long, Arthur let Merlin go.

"Um..." Merlin said quietly. "That was weird. You okay, Arthur?"

"Yeah," Arthur replied just as quietly, with no inflection. "Yeah. I'm fine." It wasn't like only one of the three other people on the couch didn't find him attractive and that was the only one he wanted to pursue.

"Call the acting awards committee and tell them to cancel, because I'm not buying it," Merlin said. "Something is bothering you. Maybe something more than your supposed date making out with mine."

Was there something more? Sure, Lance was in love with him, and years ago… **that** …happened, but it wasn't like- "I just-"

"You guys okay over there?" Lancelot asked.

"We're fine," Merlin replied, but he held Arthur's gaze and raised his eyebrows in inquiry. "We're headed to the 1860 elections for president of the United States, but other than that..."

"Oh," Gwen said, Arthur turned to see her subtly nudging Lancelot further away from her. "Well, we've got about five years before we're headed to the theater."

"And what happens in the meantime?" Merlin asked her dryly. This was more than nonsense. The back and forth meant more than just random references.

His feelings were made stronger when Gwen said, "Too serious, Merlin," and shook her head. "Anyway, I should probably get back to my dorm. Busy day tomorrow."

"Indeed," Lancelot agreed, sensing the rising tension, "I'll walk you and see that you get there safely." Of course he would. Noble git.

"Night, Lancelot, Gwen," Merlin said as they both gathered themselves to leave. "Gwen, you might want to start drafting your Gettysburg Address."

"Don't make me kick your arse, Merlin," Gwen said over her shoulder as they headed towards the door.

When the door closed behind them, Arthur asked, "It's a code?"

"Code?" Merlin asked, and he sounded nervous.

"The nonsense you're spouting. It isn't nonsense." Arthur was sure of it now.

"Of course it is. We just enjoy testing each other's grasp of history by making reference to something and seeing if the other can match it," Merlin said with a shrug. "I won that round. She should have told me to shove a bayonet up my ass."

"So it's a game?" Arthur asked. If that was true, it would test one's mental dexterity to adapt responses with information on the fly. But he still didn't buy it.

"A game for history nerds."

"And you call _me_ strange." Arthur sighed. Maybe one day, when Merlin trusted him, he'd tell Arthur the truth.

"I do. And speaking of-" Merlin began.

Nope. "We are _not_ speaking of," Arthur said, his tone meant to convey that there was no room for debate. He stood up and moved towards his room before Merlin could press the matter. "I guess bed is a good idea. When's your first class tomorrow?"

"Nine," Merlin said, frowning at Arthur.

"Too bloody early, mate. Night," Arthur said before he closed his bedroom door.

That was a disaster. Everything had gone wrong with Gwen, his anger with Lancelot had been rekindled, and Merlin seemed determined to make him out to be something he wasn't. He changed into his pajamas and settled in bed, assuring himself that tomorrow _had_ to be better.

(-)

 **So, I got stuck on Merlin's t-shirt for months and then just pulled some random idea from my head. I kind of imagine it to be a Starbucks shirt that was a promotional item for Diversity Week/Month/Day/Whatever.**

 **Also, info that will probably be exclusive to this fic is coming up in the next chapter, and it** _ **is**_ **upsetting.**

 **There's still a lot of copy-paste, I know, but especially the dialogue isn't changing. Hopefully there's enough "Arthur" in this that it doesn't feel super copy-paste. And, again, this should branch out when they stop spending so much time together.**

 **Feel free to review and share your thoughts and feelings! Sharing is caring!**


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